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      ‘He fell a little bit short’ – Ben Foster says Chelsea MUST replace £72m star who is ‘not the right guy’

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      BEN FOSTER has insisted it is time for Chelsea to get rid of Kepa Arrizabalaga.The Spanish goalkeeper has endured a rollercoaster experience since moving to Stamford Bridge in a £72m deal in 2018.
      Ben Foster kept a clean sheet for Wrexham today in a 3-0 win over York as he made a shock return to footballCredit: Getty
      The fee remains the highest ever paid for a goalkeeper but Kepa has often failed to impressed during his stay in west London.
      He spent much time on the sidelines after the arrival of Edouard Mendy in 2020 as Chelsea sought to replace the error prone keeper.
      But injury to the Senegalese stopper – who also lost form at the beginning of this season – reopened the door to Kepa.
      Despite clear improvement from his first spell as Chelsea’s main goalie, opinionated podcaster Foster is still far from convinced.
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      The former Manchester United and West Brom keeper, who made an extraordinary move to Ryan Reynold’s Wrexham this week, expressed doubt over Kepa after his failure to prevent Everton’s late goal a week ago.
      He said: “Let’s talk about Everton’s equaliser because I think Kepa should save it. A top goalkeeper saves that.
      “This is a big moment, we’re in injury-time so if he saves that, it’s 2-1, three points, boom, everyone is happy. These are the fine margins but I think a top goalie has to save that.
      “It’s a slightly awkward one so I’ve got a bit of sympathy but you need to make those big saves. He fell a little bit short.
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      “I don’t think Kepa is the right guy for it, full stop. I don’t think he’s the long-term solution. They spent £70m on Kepa by the way and £25m on Mendy, that’s almost £100m on goalkeepers.”
      Ellis Simms’ shot surprisingly sneaking past the keeper is just the latest mistake that has left Blues fans frustrated.
      Many also judged Kepa to be culpable for Oliver Skipp’s opener in last month’s loss at Tottenham as well as Riyad Mahrez’s winner for Manchester City at the beginning of January.
      But in between the errors have been impressive performances, such as his string of fantastic saves in a win over Aston Villa before the World Cup.
      Kepa Arrizabalaga has had good moments and bad moments since returning as Chelsea no.1 this seasonCredit: Alamy
      Kepa, 28, has struggled to stay out of the headlines since arriving at Stamford Bridge and normally finds the spotlight on him for one reason or another.
      He is probably most famous for the bizarre moment in the League Cup Final of 2019 when he refused Maurizio Sarri’s attempts to sub him off the pitch.
      Three years later and he would again find himself at the centre of a cup final storm as he blasted a crucial penalty over the bar to leave Chelsea on the losing end of a shootout against Liverpool. More

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      Former Liverpool star looks unrecognisable as he plays for his old side in legends’ match against Celtic

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      A FORMER Liverpool star looked unrecognisable as he played in a charity match for his old team against Celtic. The match ended 2-0 with the goals scored by Steven Gerrard and Mark Gonzalez.
      This Liverpool legend looks unrecognisable from his playing daysCredit: PA
      The midfielder appeared very different from his playing days, looking less nimble than he once did and he no longer has any hair.
      He was on the books of Liverpool from 2011 to 2012, featuring 37 times for the club, scoring two goals.
      The 37-year-old signed for a reported fee of £6.75million, but his best moment for the club came when he lifted the League Cup despite him missing his kick in the penalty shoot-out versus Cardiff.
      He hung up his boots in 2022 after a lengthy career that saw him make 207 appearances in the Premier League.
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      The player had spells at Blackpool, Stoke and Rangers.
      Overall, he was capped by Scotland’s national side 26 times.
      The unrecognisable hero is Charlie Adam.
      Adam partnered Gerrard in the middle of the park with other legends such as Dirk Kuyt and Steve McManaman on the wings.
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      Additionally, retired stars like Jerzy Dudek, Sami Hyypia and Djibril Cisse were among those to return to the Anfield pitch.
      Adam was not the only hero to look unrecognisable during the charity match, Celtic’s goalkeeper has gone bald and was seen wearing glasses.
      Charlie Adam played for Liverpool 37 timesCredit: Keith Campbell – The Sun Glasgow More

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      Arsenal star branded ‘flop of the match’ despite his international side’s easy 3-0 win in Euro qualifier

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      AN ARSENAL star has been called the “flop of the match” despite being on the winning side of Belgium’s 3-0 victory over Sweden. Romelu Lukaku hit a hat-trick to give Domenico Tedesco the perfect start as boss of the Red Devils.
      Despite a 3-0 victory, one Belgium player came under fireCredit: AFP
      But the win was not without incident as one of the Belgium players were singled out by Belgian media for an apparently poor performance.
      Radio station RTBF reportedly branded Leandro Trossard, who started on the left flank before being subbed in the 61st minute, the “flop of the match”.
      The star was criticised for being “sometimes too low on the pitch, sometimes absent … Trossard experienced a difficult evening.”
      They added of the 28-year-old: “He never really got his head above water. The author of dangerous ball loss shortly before half-time, he was substituted after an hour.
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      “We can rest assured: the Arsenal player has plenty of qualities, he will no doubt recover quickly. But this evening he will want to forget quickly.”
      RTBF were not alone in their criticism with Antwerp-based newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws reportedly claiming the Trossard was anonymous.
      They said: “Leandro was fairly invisible. Worked hard. But the love-hate relationship with the national team remains for a while.”
      Trossard was not involved in any of Lukaku’s goals with Dodi Lukebakio crossing twice for the former Manchester United striker to convert within the first 50 minutes of action.
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      Lukaku completed his treble after the midfielder was subbed off.
      It is now 71 goals in 105 games for Belgium’s all-time leading scorer and he will be hoping to add to his total when the Red Devils travel to Germany for a friendly on Tuesday night.
      Meanwhile Trossard will be looking to replicate his electric club form at the RheinEnergieStadion.
      Trossard was subbed off after an hour and was criticised for his ineffectiveness in BelgiumCredit: AFP More

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      Steven Gerrard gets pelted with BOTTLES from Celtic fans after scoring in charity game for Liverpool legends

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      LIVERPOOL legend Steven Gerrard scored and celebrated in front of Celtic fans who launched bottles at him during a charity match. The ex-Rangers manager slotted away a penalty then ran with his arms out and jumped in front of the travelling supporters.
      😅🔴 𝖲𝗍𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗇 𝖦𝖾𝗋𝗋𝖺𝗋𝖽 𝗌𝖼𝗈𝗋𝖾𝗌 𝗂𝗇 𝖺 𝗅𝖾𝗀𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗌 𝗆𝖺𝗍𝖼𝗁 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖼𝖾𝗅𝖾𝖻𝗋𝖺𝗍𝖾𝗌 𝗂𝗇-𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗇𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖢𝖾𝗅𝗍𝗂𝖼 𝖿𝖺𝗇𝗌! pic.twitter.com/QupDuhWJX1— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) March 25, 2023

      Steven Gerrard celebrated in front of Celtic supporters
      Celtic fans chucked bottles at him that had to be removed from the pitch by stewards
      The Old Firm rivalry was on show at Anfield as fuming Celtic fans chucked objects at him from the stands as he was embraced by his team-mates.
      Gerrard was in charge at Rangers for three seasons and helped them win the Scottish Premiership in the 2020/21 season.
      The victory stopped Celtic getting their hands on ten league titles in a row.
      Rangers fans taunted their rivals on social media, one said: “Launching bottles at him and everything. Steven Gerrard killed ten in a row.”
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      Another reacted: “The man that destroyed everything they dreamed of for a decade.”
      Yet fans were quick to respond citing Gerrard’s slip that led to Liverpool losing the title against Chelsea in 2014 and with the fact Celtic have won 22 trophies in ten years.
      Some condemned the reaction of Celtic supporters, saying: “It’s a charity match and they’ve actually launched stuff at Gerrard.”
      A second commented: “Imagine Celtic fans being salty at a charity game.”
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      On his decision to celebrate wildly, Gerrard told Liverpool TV: “In front of the Celtic fans, little bit of pressure. You have to milk it.
      “I’ve had so much stick off of them so they can have a bit back. There you go.”
      The goal put Liverpool legends 1-0 up in the clash and Mark Gonzalez added a second to give the hosts a win in a game that featured many legends from both teams.
      Reds heroes such as Jerzy Dudek, Sami Hyypia, Martin Skrtel, Dirk Kuyt and Steve McManaman all played.
      Meanwhile, pulling on the green and white of Celtic once again were the likes of legends Artur Boruc, Mikael Lustig, Trevor Sinclair, Stiliyan Petrov and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink. More

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      Raphael Varane reveals the two clubs he would leave Man Utd for as he hints where he’ll end career

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      MANCHESTER UNITED defender Raphael Varane has named the two clubs he would consider joining if he decided to leave Old Trafford in the near future.The 29-year-old, who retired from international duty last month to focus on club football, has played an integral role in Erik ten Hag’s United squad this season.
      Varane is enjoying a successful season with UnitedCredit: Alamy
      Following a slow start to the campaign, Varane has helped the Red Devils climb up to third in the Premier League table.
      He also played the full 90 minutes as United saw off Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final to end the club’s seven-year trophy drought
      However, the defender recently admitted that he has considered moving elsewhere before the end of his career.
      In an interview with GQ Magazine, he said: “I will finish my career either in Madrid, or in Manchester, or in Lens.
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      The defender hinted that he could move back to MadridCredit: Getty
      He also refused to rule out a return to LensCredit: Getty
      “I will not move to another club [other than those].
      “But Madrid seems complicated to me. Players don’t usually go back there.
      “The most likely outcome today is that I will finish [my club career] in either Manchester or Lens.”
      Varane joined Man Utd in a £42million transfer from Real Madrid in August 2018.
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      During his decade with Los Blancos he won four Champions League titles and three La Liga titles.
      But prior to his stint at the Santiago Bernabeu he enjoyed a spell with Ligue 1 side Lens, where he scored two goals in 24 appearances. More

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      ‘Zinchenko knows London is blue’ – Chelsea star Mudryk taunts Ukraine team-mate after rejecting Gunners

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      CHELSEA ace Mykhailo Mudryk trolled Ukraine team-mate and Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko by telling him London is “blue”.Mudryk almost joined Zinchenko at the Emirates in January but the Blues hijacked the move and so the winger went to Stamford Bridge following a deal with Shakhtar Donetsk that could rise to £97million.
      Chelsea star Mykhailo Mudryk told Oleksandr Zinchenko that London is “blue”Credit: AP
      Oleksandr Zinchenko wanted Mykhailo Mudryk to join him at ArsenalCredit: Getty
      The 22-year-old is now focused on the West Londoners and insists that when it comes to club football there is no love lost between him and his fellow Ukrainian.
      Mudryk told Sky Sports when asked what colour London is: “Blue.”
      However, the Ukraine international insists Zinchenko helped him adjust to his new life in London despite their clubs’ rivalry.
      The two of them continue to take friendly swipes at each other but remain on the same page.
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      Mudryk added: “He helped me a lot.
      “I like him so much. We often joke about Arsenal, Chelsea and what colour is London.
      “But I like this guy, he’s very funny, very kind guy. We spend some time with him and always in positive vibes.”
      Zinchenko insists there is no reason to look back at all the drama surrounding Mudryk’s recent transfer saga.
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      The full-back wanted the ex-Shakhtar star to join him at Arsenal but now admits he has to focus on Chelsea.
      Zinchenko said: “I told him: ‘It’s gone already, it doesn’t matter what you wanted, what the other guys wanted.
      “‘Now you’re a Chelsea player, you signed a long-term contract and you have only one option, only one way, direct and forward’.
      “Unfortunately he didn’t become an Arsenal player – as I wanted personally! – but it’s life.”
      The two stars are expected to be in action on Sunday when England host Ukraine at Wembley for their Euro 2024 qualifier. More

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      Man Utd set to rival Arsenal for transfer of striker dubbed ‘the next Haaland’ and they have huge advantage over Gunners

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      MANCHESTER UNITED are set to rival Arsenal in the race to sign striker Rasmus Hojlund, according to reports.The Atalanta star has been dubbed as “the next Erling Haaland”.
      Rasmus Hojlund is wanted by a number of top clubsCredit: Getty
      He has been likened to Erling HaalandCredit: Alamy
      Man Utd supposedly have concrete interest in Hojlund and he would welcome a move to Old Trafford, giving them an advantage over potential other suitors.
      The player is a fan of the club and Sport Witness report that he said: “Now that you ask, I will not hide the fact that I am a huge Manchester United fan.
      “So personally, it would be one of the biggest things for me.”
      Hojlund is valued at over £30million by Atalanta, who signed him for half the price last summer from Austrian outfit Sturm Graz.
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      He scored a hat-trick for Denmark in their win over Finland on Thursday in his first international start.
      The three strikes added to the eight goals he has scored for the Serie A side this season.
      Man Utd are keen to add a new striker to their squad this summer and the 20-year-old is seen as more attainable than Tottenham’s Harry Kane or Napoli’s Victor Osimhen.
      Hojlund also reportedly remains on the radar of Arsenal and Real Madrid.
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      He has been compared to Haaland not just because of their Scandinavian backgrounds, but also due to his physicality while also possessing a similar burst of pace and eye for goal as the Manchester City star.
      Pundit Mike Grella said he can be even better than the Norweigian, saying: “He can do more than Haaland. Haaland is more the type who duels with the centre-backs and just scores lots of goals.
      “Hojlund can dribble past an opponent. He can keep the ball better. Hojlund can better help the team on the edge (of the penalty area) or deeper in the pitch.” More

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      Thomas Tuchel wants to launch double transfer raid by signing TWO Chelsea stars as new Bayern Munich boss

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      NEW Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel wants to reunite with Chelsea aces Edouard Mendy and Mateo Kovacic, reports suggest.Tuchel took over at Bayern after his shock dismissal from the Blues in September and has replaced Julian Nagelsmann, who was also suddenly sacked.
      Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel wants to sign Chelsea aces Edouard Mendy and Mateo KovacicCredit: Alamy
      Chelsea ace Edouard Mendy has fallen out of favour under Graham PotterCredit: Getty
      Mateo Kovacic’s Chelsea deal runs out next year and could leaveCredit: Getty
      According to Calciomercato, the ex-Borussia Dortmund boss is already planning ahead for the summer transfer window and wants to start with two of his former Chelsea players.
      Mendy has fallen out of favour under the German head coach’s successor Graham Potter, who prefers Kepa Arrizabalaga between the sticks.
      The Senegal international has a contract with the West Londoners until 2025 but is among the lowest earners at Stamford Bridge.
      SunSport recently revealed that the 31-year-old turned down a six-year deal because he felt the club did not show him enough “respect” over wages.
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      Kovacic, on the other hand, has a deal that runs out next year and Potter will be looking to make some space on his inflated squad after a busy January market.
      The 47-year-old head coach is a big fan of the midfielder but his contract runs out soon and that casts doubt over his future.
      Chelsea are also facing the prospect of losing highly-rated assistant coach Anthony Barry.
      The new Bayern manager publicly expressed his desire to sign Barry and have him reunite with his other assistants Zsolt Low and Arno Michels.
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      Tuchel, though, is now focused on the task at hand as Bayern are in the Champions League quarter-finals and are chasing Bundesliga table-toppers Dortmund, who are just one point ahead.
      Reports suggest Nagelsmann was suddenly dismissed for various reasons, such as a lack of player development and “negative sporting development”.
      Club chiefs also felt like there was “too much theatre [and a] lack of results”, with some players even “complaining” about the German tactician. More